The electronic design community is well aware that it faces a daunting challenge to analyze and sign off the next generation of huge multi-die 3D-IC systems. Most of today’s EDA tools require extraordinary resources in specialized computers with terabytes of RAM and hundreds of processors. Customers don’t want to keep buying… Read More




Webinar – SoC Planning for a Modern, Component-Based Approach
We all know that project planning and tracking are critical for any complex undertaking, especially a complex SoC design project. We also know that IP management is critical for these same kinds of projects – there is lots of IP from many sources being integrated in any SoC these days. If you don’t keep track of what you’re using and… Read More
TSMC Arizona Fab Cost Revisited
Back in May of 2020 I published some comparisons of the cost to run a TSMC fab in Arizona versus their fabs in Taiwan. I found the fab operating cost based on the country-to-country difference to only be 3.4% higher in the US and then I found an additional 3.8% because of the smaller fab scale. Since that time, I have continued to encounter… Read More
AI and ML for Sanity Regressions
You probably know the value proposition for using AI and ML (machine learning) in simulation regressions. There are lots of knobs you can tweak on a simulator, all there to help you squeeze more seconds, or minutes out of a run. If you know how to use those options. But often it’s easier to talk to your friendly AE, get a reasonable default… Read More
Ansys Talks About HFSS EM Solver Breakthroughs
Ansys HFSS™ has long enjoyed industry respect as a highly accurate electromagnetic simulator suitable for general purpose applications. Ansys has worked over the years to maintain its gold reference accuracy, and also to dramatically improve its performance and ease of use. A very interesting review of the key technology breakthroughs… Read More
ESD Alliance Reports Double-Digit Growth – The Hits Just Keep Coming
The latest Electronic Design Market Data report was just published. The headline announces continued substantial growth for the sector: Electronic System Design Industry Logs Double-Digit Q2 2021 Year-Over-Year Revenue Growth, ESD Alliance Reports. While not quite the record-breaking growth reported last quarter, the… Read More
High Reliability Power Management Chip Simulation and Verification for Automotive Electronics
Automotive electronics bring strong demand for power management chips, but its strict reliability requirements also pose new challenges for chip designers. The chip needs to be able to work in various harsh environments such as high temperature, low temperature, aging, abnormal power supply, etc. Although the traditional… Read More
Hardware Data Acceleration for Semiconductor Design
This blog is a follow-on piece to an earlier one titled NetApp’s ONTAP Enables Engineering Productivity Boost. If you have not had an opportunity to read that blog, please do so for context. Using real life examples, it showcases how customers could improve real-world design engineering productivity as much as 10%.
For the … Read More
IAA Mobility: The Un-Car Show
IAA Mobility held in Munich last month was the first post-pandemic international auto show to take place outside of China. The organizers positioned automotive displays in city-center plazas while car companies rubbed shoulders with large suppliers and tiny startups on the show floor at the conference center.
Attendees would… Read More
Podcast EP42: Semiconductor Materials Innovations
Dan is joined by Alex Yoon, head of strategic and emerging technologies at Intermolecular. Dan and Alex explore the application of Intermolecular’s materials research capabilities, including their prototype fab in the Bay Area.
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in these podcasts… Read More
Intel’s Pearl Harbor Moment